Robert Uyetani Collegiate Professorship established
Robert Uyetani Collegiate Professorship established in COE Heading link
The UIC College of Engineering recently established the Robert Uyetani Collegiate Professorship in memory of alumnus Robert “Bobby” Uyetani. Uyetani attended both the University of Illinois Chicago and University of Illinois Urbana Champaign, and, according to his family, was forever grateful to the University of Illinois system for the opportunities it opened for him.
He gave generously to the university throughout his life, and at his passing at the age of 93 left a final $1 million gift to the College of Engineering at UIC and the Physics department at UIUC.
Uyetani had a long career in the aerospace industry, designing landing gear for F-16s, guidance systems and flight systems for Sidewinder missiles, and the systems for laser guided missiles. He also worked with NASA on the Cassini probe to Saturn, the Magellan space probe, and some of the components used on the international space station.
Uyetani was born in Bakersfield California in 1930 and was the youngest of six children. His father had emigrated to the United States from Japan and farmed a small plot of land. At the time, Japanese people could not become naturalized American citizens or own their own land.
Uyetani’s father, Chojiro, loved America and gave all his children, who were U.S. citizens, American names. Chojiro passed away in 1932, leaving his widow, who spoke very little English, to raise Uyetani and his siblings. The oldest Uyetani children were teenagers and helped the family survive by working the farm and taking jobs such as housekeeping.
In school, Bobby Uyetani distinguished himself as a gifted student and was a speed reader with a photographic memory by the age of seven.
During WWII, Uyetani’s family, like all people of Japanese ancestry–regardless of citizenship–were declared enemy aliens by President Franklin Roosevelt and were forced from their homes and relocated to internment camps. The Uyetani family was interned at the Poston Relocation Camp in southwest Arizona. From there, most of the family moved to Chicago. Uyetani worked as a houseboy in the suburbs and was able to attend New Trier High School.
Uyetani completed his first two years of college on the University of Illinois’ Navy Pier campus. He completed his studies at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, becoming a member of Phi Beta Kappa and graduating with a degree in engineering physics in 1953.
During the 1950’s, there was a military draft, and Uyetani served as a corporal in the army during the Korean War.
Outside of work, Uyetani loved baseball and sports of all kinds, horse racing, fast cars, movies, opera, musicals, and the symphony. He read several newspapers every day and subscribed to many magazines and journals. He loved to cook and loved going to restaurants. He was close to his family and had good friends.
Uyetani never married and had no children. He is survived by six nieces and nephews. He was beloved by many for his generosity and acts of kindness. Uyetani was a man of few words, and a keen observer who absorbed the world the same way he was able to speed read books.
His family hopes his gift provides life-changing opportunities for students to make advances in science and engineering.
Distinguished Professor Sudip Mazumder is the first UIC Robert Uyetani Collegiate Professor. This position recognizes an individual who have had a significant impact on their field through scholarship, creativity, and leadership, and provide dedicated resources for innovative research and teaching.